Sam Warburton has revealed he does not miss playing rugby at all, four years after shocking the game with his retirement.
Warburton was just 29 when he called it a day in the summer of 2018 amid torrid injury struggles. His last ever match had been a year earlier, captaining the British and Irish Lions to a drawn series in New Zealand. He underwent neck and knee operations after that tour, taking a year out of the game before deciding to quit.
Since then he has forged a successful career as a media pundit and launched the SW7 Academy fitness programme. He has never been happier and has no regrets whatsoever, despite what many saw as an premature departure from the sport.
Speaking during an appearance on the Stompcast podcast, hosted by former Love Island contestant Dr Alex George, Warburton said: "People say, do you miss it? My short answer is no, not at all. I love that I did it, but do I miss it? Absolutely not. I loved it when I did it and I had no regard for my body when I played, I didn't have kids. Rugby was my life."
"When you have kids, I've got a six and a two-year-old now and I only had the two-year-old when I retired, it just gives you a whole new perspective on life. I wasn't able to play with my daughter. Just going on bouncy castles or carrying her up the stairs, I couldn't do it."
Warburton announced his retirement on July 18, 2018. He explained he wasn't prepared to put his body through the turmoil of being a professional rugby player any more, prioritising his future health over his sporting career. Rugby, he says, was simply not the be all and end all for him.
"The reward of a long, healthy family life outweighed the risk of continuing to play rugby," he said.
"Some people think 'oh you're so selfish, how can you give up all that, playing in front of 75,000, on TV BBC can peak at 10 million people when you're playing England, how can you give that up?' Well, because there's more important things in life.
"My body took a hammering, I knew it wasn't good for me to keep going. I'd be struggling to do this (walking) in 20 years time if I carried on playing into my mid-thirties because I played in a very hostile position."
Warburton also explained that he is completely switched off from rugby when at home, and has no memorabilia like a lot of other players do.
"If you went into my house, it would be the worst episode of Through The Keyhole you've ever seen! There's no rugby, no nothing. You wouldn't have a clue who lived there. Just family photos. I've got no jerseys!"
"Somebody asked to do a portrait of me and I was like I don't really want to, it's so narcissistic. When I go home, I'm not Sam the rugby player, I'm Sam the dad, the dog owner, the husband. That's what I want to be."
Warburton remains involved in rugby, of course, as a leading pundit for Sky Sports and the BBC. He has also set up the SW7 fitness Academy, which helps members of the public learn to train like athletes.
"I have enjoyed the transition," he said. People ask me how I get my competitive kick now. Well, I've been competitive for 15 years, I'm quite happy just chilling out right now to be honest. I still train like crazy. From the age of 14 or 15 you are trying to chase perfection and athletic development and then you suddenly finish. I still want to train and be strong. If I just wilt away I feel like I'm just giving up. I want to be able to live a long, healthy life."
"When I was thinking about finishing, I had a bit of a panic because I had nothing in place. I was always smart and sensible with my earnings but it wasn't going to last me forever. My agent said 'don't worry about it, when people know you are going to retire, things will happen'. I always remember thinking I didn't want to rush into anything, I wanted to do something I was passionate about.
"I always enjoyed the broadcasting but that is only part time work. Now I have fallen into the fitness and health aspect and helping as many people as I could. That takes up half my time - it's an online fitness app in a nutshell. It's about training as an athlete and I love doing that. I'm doing things that I am passionate about. I always say to people to choose something you are passionate about.
"I felt maybe a bit lost when I retired so it was about finding a purpose. Being a good dad is one of those. I love school runs. The best thing is when I pick them up from school and they clock me and run over to me. I want to be a good dad and I want them to be close to me. I had an amazing relationship with mum and dad and I want them to have the same. That's what drives me.
"I've got my work purpose but my main purpose is my family. My wife, my kids, my family. Spending time with them is the number one thing to being happy."
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